Method of ginning cotton.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

JOHN R. FORDYOE, OF LITTLE Rock; ARKANSAS.

METHOD oF GINNING corToN.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, JOHN R. FORDYOE, a citizen of the United States, residin at Little Rock, Pulaskicounty, Arkansas, ave invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Methods of Ginning Cotton, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de- .scri tion, such as will enable others skilled h in t e art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this'specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of an apparatus for carrying out my improved method of ginning cotton. Fig. 2 is a fra mentary sectional view of the sep-v aratingars, a portion of the beater, and a portion of the brush. Fig. Sis a cross-sectional view through the separator-bars on the line 3 3 of Fig.`2. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on the line 4 4' ofFig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional fview on the line 5 5 of `his invention relates to ginning cotton,

4and the primary object is to provide an improved method for separating the fibers from the seed, so that theremoved fibers will be of such lengths as are best suited forl spinning.

It is recognized that the value of cotton depends materially upon the lengths of the fibers, the short-fibered cotton being of ponsiderably less value than the long-fibered cotton. The method pursued by me and carried out in accordiance with the one described in this application permits the fibers to beremovedfrom the seed without becoming broken and finally carries them in'unbroken `lengths to the bat-forming rollers, whence asthey are fed into the machine. 7 designates a'compression-roller above the endless apron and 'which initially disturbs the bolls as they are fed into the machine and before they come into contact with the rollers .6. After'thepicker-roller 5 has torn `pthegleaf- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 11, 1904. Serial No. 216,114.

Patented Jan. 15,1907.

trash and other foreign substances from the locks and has sufficiently torn the vcottony the said cotton is fed throuh the chute 8 into the gin 9. By the term locks I mean that part of thecotton which is incased in the coverin or boll and which consists of the seed Wit the cotton fibers therearound. Secured to theinclined timber 1() of the gin 9 is a plurality of separator-bars, (designated bythe numeral 11,) said bars cooperating to form a slotted member, as hereinafter described. These bars are best illustrated in cross-section in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The 'bars' 11 are of peculiar lshape, and they consist each in a web portionywith edge anges 12 l and 13. The web or-tion is curved-at its lower extremity an terminates adjacent to the flange 13 in a seat 14, which bears against one end of the timber 10. The flange 12 veX- tends down to a point below the extremity of thel flange 13 and carries a centrally-dispgsed fin 15, which, in conjunction with the on the adjacent bar, acts as-a uide for the beater-hammers, to be referre after.

By reference to Figs. 3, 4, and 5 it ,Will be to hereinlobserved that the flanges 12 areof less width than the flanges 13 on the res ective bars.

4Thus when the flanges 13 are p aced edge to edge a slight space 1s left between the adjacent edges of t e flanges 12 of the respective bars whlch constitute slots through which the fibers can ass without permitting the seed tov pass. Be ow the ends o f t'he respective bars and spaced a short distance therefrom is a bar 16, provided with a knife-edge, the purpose of which will be .hereinafter made lapparen-t. Y,

17 designates a conveyer for an air-blast, which has an outlet 18 in line with the slotted member formed bythe bars 11, so that as the locks are fed down through the chute 8 the air-blast will force the fibers through the slots formed by the flanges 12 of the bars, and thisV blast will have a tendency to 'keep thevseed in .contact with the bars as it slides down the same and also forces said see'd through a discharge passage-way. The volume of air may be regulated by the valve 19, which is arranged adjacent to the inlet-opening i-n the iginning-machine. The blast of airpa'sses through the machine in a curved path, andas the heavy particles have a tendency to go straight the locks are held in engagement with the slotted member practically .by centrifugal force.

IIO f 22, which is driven by suitable power.

designates the beater, which mayconsist of a plurality of disks having teeth 2]. or a single cylinder provided with the teeth 21, the disks or cylinders, as the case may be, being keyed or otherwise fastened to `the shaft T ie teeth 21 may properly be termed hammers, inasmuch as they are designed to knock against or contact with the seed.

- Adjacent to the beater and on the opposite side of the bars 11 is a brush 23, which 1s pro vided with a plurality of longitudinally-disposed strips 2e, carrying flexible lint-separa tors 25. As locks are fed through the'chute 8 and against the bars 11 the blast of air will be sucient to force the fibers through the slots between the bar's, as above desclibed, and during this operation the lint is divided on 'eitherside of a parting-line on the seed, so that the action of 'the beater 2() and the brush 23 will result in causing the seed to Kcome intermittently in contact with the knife-edge of the bar 16, whereby the lint will be torn from the seed without breaking the fibers thereof. The adjustable screen 26 conformsto the contour of the beater 20, and the free end thereof can be adjusted toward and away from the bar 16, as occasion may reals lso

quire.

. itisldesirable that a sufficient space be maintained between the free end of the screen and the bar to permit the seed from which the lint has been removed to pass into The motes which pass ithrough the space between the edges of the bars 11 and the edge of the bar 16 will pass into the hopper 27'v through the opening' 28. The size of this opening may be governed by sliding the adjusting-board 29 toward and away from the bar 16. plished by actuating the pinion 30, which is 1n mesh with the rack 31 on the board 29.

In order that the proper degree of pressure may be exerted upon the lint and the seed and. in order`to prevent any back or counter currents of air, I have provided a ocket-valve 32, which is positioned at the ottom of the hopper 27, said valve being provided with a plurality of radial blades so disposed that the discharge-opening in the hopper 27 will be at all times closed. As the pockets successively become filled with the seed the valve lwill be caused to partially rotate, so that the seed will drop into the tube 33 and be deposited into a receptacle 34, from which they can be removed.

As the lint passes by the brush the blast of -air will force it .through the chute 35 and between the bateforming rollers 36 and 37. It will be observed that the roller 37 consists of suitable reticulated material, or it may otherwise be perforated, so that the air between the iibers of the cotton will be pressed This adjustment can be accom-- therefrom during the formation of the bat. The scraper 38, depending from the top of the roller-casing, is for the purpose of removing any cottoniibers adhering to the roller 36;

From the description of the preferred emmy method it will bei'apparent that the lint boils into a feeder, separating the cotton-seed from the leaf-trash, &c., subjecting the cotton-seed to an air-blast toforce the same into engagement with a slotted member, which permits only the libers to pass therethrough, the separation of the fibers and seed being aidedby some mechanica means, such as a brush, and thereafter forcing the iibers into contact with the bat-forming rollersv by means `of said air-blast. Thus the fibers are sufficiently removed without being sub'ected to any detrimental iniiuence.

Vihile I have hereinl shown the slotted member as being stationary and the mechanical means which coperates with the airvblast to separate the fiber and seed as consisting of a rotary brush, it is obvious that this mechanical means could be stationary and the slotted member be in the form of a rotary device without departing from the scope of my invention.

Having thus desc'ribed the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to byLetters Patent, is-

1. The herein-described method of ginnin cotton which consists in subjecting locks o cotton to a gaseous blast While the seeds are prevented from moving with the blast whereby the liber of each lock is caused to extend in ay certain direction from the seed, and thereafter pulling the fiber and seed in opposite directions to separate them; substantially as described. y

2. The herein-described method of ginning cotton which consists in subjecting locks of cotton to a gaseous blast while the seeds are prevented from moving with the blast where' by the fiber of each lock is caused to extend in a certain direction from the seed, and then subjecting the seeds to a beating action and the fiber to a brushing action to separate the same; substantially as described. 3. The herein-described method of ginning cotton which consists in subjecting locks of cotton to a continuous gaseous blast while the seeds of the locks are prevented from moving with the blast whereby the fibers are caused to extend in a certain direction from the seeds, and then pulling the seeds and fiber in opposite directions over a stationary member to separate them substantially as described.

4. The herein-described method of ginning cotton which consists in tearing up a mass of cotton locks, separating the locks fromA each other, then subjecting the locks to a cont'mu-- ous gaseous blast while the seeds are p rebodiment of the apparatus for carrying out' is removed by iirstij'rip'troducing the cottonbe secured lIO vto 'a continuous blast While the seeds aieprei vented from movin with the blast'whereby certain direction from the seed; then pulling the seeds and 'fiber in opposite directions over a stationer member to seperate'them, and 15 thereafter orming the iber into buts; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix iny signatuie, in the presence of two Witnesses. thisZd dayof July, 1904.

, JOHN R. FORDYCE. Witnesses: l f

R. W. HALL, J'. MELANooN.

vented from moving with the blast whereby the bers are caused to extend in a certain' direction from the seeds, and then subjecting the seedstotu beating action and the :fibers i to a pulling action to separate them; substanfi tiallyes described. l rffiThe method `of ginning cotton which consists in tearing up and combing a mass of seed-cotton, then subjecting the cotton locks i the ybeiof each loc is caused to extend in a, 

